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I own a golf cart dealership located in North Florida. We sell and service golf carts, both electric and gas powered. At our dealership there are far more electric powered golf carts that we repair than there are gas. I would say we see about a hundred electric carts to every gas powered in our service department. This isn’t because gas cars are so much better and require less servicing.

The reason for the mass difference is due to our location. We are in North Florida. Flat without any hills North Florida. We are also in a State that has been very “go green” friendly. Hence, not really a high demand for gas powered golf carts for the not so hilly greens. And right along with every electric golf cart is the golf cart’s battery charger. We have walk-ins every week bringing us these chargers for us to diagnose.

Sometimes the charger is just fine indicating that there is a problem on the golf cart which we then schedule for pickup. However, the majority of the time the initial plug in test indicates some sort of failure with the battery charger. There is a pretty good chance that the power surge demon attacked the battery charger. We live in an area of North Florida that has more than our fair share of electrical power surges. And if that’s not bad enough we also experience a great number of afternoon thunderstorms accompanied by enough lightening that would have made Ben Franklin want to live here!

These power surges and electrical spikes search and destroy just about any electrical circuit in their path. We once lost our microwave, coffee maker (May Day, May Day,… ) portable phones, computer and printer all in the same afternoon! Yes I know, we should have moved! These surge demons have a mission in mind to seek and destroy, including golf cart battery chargers. After repairing a customer’s battery charger we ask them if they have a surge protector in the circuit that they use for their golf cart’s charger. Folks, we already know the answer. Most of them have the darnedest look on their faces when we encourage them to place a surge protector before their charger in order to protect it from damaging surges and spikes. They can purchase one from us or wherever they choose. But the concept must be put into place before another repair cost is incurred due to these electrical demons.

We had a customer that didn’t agree with our advice and paid for his charger repair and went on his way. a couple of months later he was back wanting his battery charger warrantied. Folks, the electronic regulator board was burnt just as the first time we repaired his charger. One of the larger demons must have attacked it and hit so hard that it literally blew a couple of components off of the circuit board.

After show and tell with the fellow and explaining that a power surge/spike did the damage again, he paid us and went and bought a surge protector and we haven’t seen the man’s charger since. I know he bought one for he called us from one of the big box stores asking about one of the protectors he was looking at if it would work OK for his charger. Live and learn. My mother used to say that some people just don’t learn the easy way. They have to be hit twice before they learn to duck. In today’s society the school of hard knocks isn’t suffering from a lack of students, that’s for sure.

I hope I have communicated these concepts in a positive way that helps us understand the need for a surge protector to be installed in the power circuit to the golf cart’s battery charger. And in doing so you will prevent having to pay for costly repairs caused by the “electrical demons” of power surges and electrical spikes. With the end result of you saving money and taking better care of your golf cart. It is for these things why I write. I write for you and your understanding of your golf cart. Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say. You honor me by doing so. OK, until next time we meet, get out there and enjoy your golf cart. After all, isn’t that what you bought it for? MKR

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Source by Michael K Rosenbarker

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